Bidspirit auction | ASSYRO-BABYLONIAN AGATE INTAGLIO DEPICTING A

ASSYRO-BABYLONIAN AGATE INTAGLIO DEPICTING A PRIEST IN A HIGH KARAT GOLD SWIVEL RING - Ca. 800 - 600 BC. A banded agate intaglio engraved with a cultic scene. On the right, a bearded male figure of a priest or worshipper is shown in profile with raised hands in a gesture of adoration. Before him stands a tall altar with mushhushshu and the spade standards. Above the scene hovers a winged solar disc. The intaglio is mounted in a gold swivel ring. The hoop is round in section and flattens at the shoulders to accommodate the pivoting oval bezel.For similar see: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Object Number: 86.11.35.Size: D:18.75mm / US: 8 3/4 / UK: R; Weight: 13.3gProvenance: Private London collection; formerly in South German private collection 1980s-early1990s. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. Reviewed by Sami Fortune, an ancient jewellery specialist.